FIREFIGHTERS rescued hundreds of people who were trapped on a rooftop of a Hong Kong skyscraper today after a major blaze broke out.

Police told local media that about 300 people had evacuated to the top of the building while waiting to be rescued.

Dozens of others were also jammed into narrow areas in an open-air area on the fifth floor while they waited for rescue.

About 770 people were saved from the fire, which took hours to extinguish, according to the fire department.

Another 40 people managed to escape on their own unharmed.

At least 13 people were taken to hospital for treatment, according to authorities. Of these, three suffered injuries while 10 suffered from smoke inhalation.

The fire started in the early afternoon at the World Trade Centre on Gloucester Road in the city’s popular Causeway Bay shopping district, according to a government notice.

The 38-storey tower houses both offices and a shopping arcade.

Authorities said that the fire spread from the building’s bottom two floors, which is occupied by an arcade undergoing extensive renovations.

They said they were still looking into whether fire safety regulations had been breached.